Ryan: Election winner to determine lame-duck session

By JAMES HOHMANN

05/20/2012 11:30 AM EDT

Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) said Sunday that what happens on tax cuts at the end of this year will depend on who wins this fall's presidential election because the race offers a clear choice between dueling economic visions.

“The country will choose, and I think that will largely decide what happens in the lame duck,” the House Budget Committee chairman said on NBC's "Meet the Press."

But he ducked three separate attempts by moderator David Gregory to own the logical conclusion of his own assertion, which is that Mitt Romney losing should then mean Republicans are willing to allow some tax hikes on the rich.

“Well, I would like to do tax reform,” he said to the first inquiry.

“I’m not going to negotiate with myself,” he added when pressed.

Then he explained that current law is bringing the massive tax increase, putting the “burden of responsibility” on President Obama.

Senate Majority Whip. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), debating Ryan on the program, also declined Gregory’s attempt to get a direct answer to the question of whether Democrats will be more willing to compromise if Romney wins.

Instead, he said Romney would return the country to the policies of George W. Bush and touted his own support for the Bowles-Simpson framework.

“Everything has to be on the table,” said Durbin. “It’s still the bottom line solution to our problems.”